How the Roc saved Halloween

Tribeca shops made sure not to let Sandy be the storm that stole Halloween from young trick-or-treaters, and got a little help doing so from a man who knows a lot about saves — retired Mets pitcher John Franco, who preserved more victories than any other Met.

Franco, who has made appearances at Downtown Little League games over the years, went trick-or-treating with his family on Nov. 5. He is friends with Rocco and Stacy Candolini, the owners of Roc Restaurant, who organized the event.

Rocco said he saw how disappointed his daughters still were about missing Halloween last Monday morning, so he put out the word, got about ten other businesses to participate and even wore his Fred Flintstone costume to P.S. 234 when picking up his daughter Alessia, 8. By that night, a few hundred children had joined the celebration.

Cindy, a Financial District mom who was out with her children, looked a little tired when she gave the Candolinis a heartfelt “Thank you.” As she walked to the next store with her 6-year-old son dressed as a knight and her 3-year-old banana girl, she said they had left Downtown after the storm once they lost power, but that was the least of her family’s troubles.

“My parents lost their home in Breezy Point, so we were in a hotel taking care of them,” said Cindy, who declined to give her last name.

Franco, who was there earlier in the evening, said his heart went out to places that suffered worse losses but was confident they would come back.